Integrated battery contact and retentive protrusion

ABSTRACT

A battery (10) includes at least one cell (71) which is contained in a housing (16). Mating mechanisms, located on the housing, selectively attaches the battery to the radio. The mating mechanisms include a protrusion (36) selectively receivable (64) by the radio. At least one electrical contact (18) is located on the protrusion (36).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to battery contacts and mechanicalmating means and more specifically to a battery contact that is retainedin the mechanical mating means.

BACKGROUND

Electronic portable products typically have battery packs having bothsupply contacts and charger contacts. In addition, the battery packshave a means of attaching themselves to the portable electronicproducts. Conventionally, contacts to the portable electronic productand the attachment means to the electronic product have been twoseparate and distinct mechanisms having two separate purposes. Havingseparate supply or battery contacts and attachment means (on thebattery) to the portable product or charger, respectively, requiresadditional parts and tooling to manufacture the battery pack.Furthermore, in manufacturing different capacities or sizes of batterypacks, separate designs and tooling would be required for the supplycontacts and the charger contacts. Thus, having separate batterycontacts that are either for charging or supply and separate batterymating mechanisms on a battery for a portable electronic product createsa redundancy in parts, tooling, and a decrease in manufacturingefficiency. In other words, an increased number of parts and toolingprocesses raise the cost of the battery. Finally, separate batterycontacts and attachment mechanisms increase the concern of wear, fatigueand corrosion in each of those parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A battery includes at least one cell which is contained in a housing.Mating mechanisms, located on the housing, selectively attaches thebattery to the radio. The mating mechanisms include a protrusionselectively receivable by the radio. At least one electrical contact islocated on the protrusion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of an electronic product in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of a battery pack in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective internal view of the cell compartment portion ofthe battery pack of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a battery (or other energy source) or battery pack10 attaches to one or more electronic products. Specifically, thebattery pack 10 attaches to and supplies battery current to power acommunication device, such as a two-way radio 30 in FIG. 1. Radio 30includes a radio housing 32 having a battery receiving area 34 on thebackside 14 of the radio housing and an antenna 42. The receiving area34 also includes a bottom sidewall 24 that extends perpendicularly awayfrom the backside 14 of the housing 32. Within the battery receivingarea 34, the radio 30 has retainable receiving areas, such as a cavity66 located on the backside 14 and a pair of apertures 64, located on thebottom sidewall 24 to form a retainer, for mechanically coupling thebattery 10 to the radio 30. Conductive mating means, such as positiveand negative radio supply contacts 38 and 40, respectively are recessedwithin the cavity 66, but show through corresponding apertures, to forma protrusion receiving area or socket. The bottom apertures 64 and thetop cavity 66 are used for receiving the battery 10. These retainerssimultaneously serve three functions: mechanically coupling the battery10 to the radio 30, electronically coupling the battery to the radio viathe radio contacts 40 and 38, and providing accessibility to the batteryfor a second electronic product, such as a charger (not shown) via theapertures 64 when charging the battery.

Optionally, for further mechanical locking of the battery to the radio,the top of the battery pack also includes a releasable snap feature 102for latching with the catch assembly 104 of the radio's backside 14. Theradio housing 32 and its backside 14 can either be two separate housingscoupled together or one integrated housing. Preferably, the backside ofthe radio housing is a separate metal chassis for providing groundprotection to the radio while both the housings for the battery andradio are made from plastic.

Referring to FIG. 2, a battery housing 16 includes a bottom side orunderside 44 and a housing portion or battery cover 22 on the rear orbackside. The housing 16 and housing portion 22 can either be oneintegrated housing or two separate housings coupled together.Preferably, for attaching the two separate parts, battery cover 22 andbattery housing 16 are ultrasonically welded together once battery cells71-76, shown in FIG. 3, have been placed inside.

Both the battery cover 22 and the bottom side 44 of the battery includemating mechanisms, such as protrusions or bosses 13 and 36,respectively, for attaching the battery to the radio 30. The bottomprotrusions 36 captivate charging contacts such as positive and negativecharger contacts 18 and 21 and sensor contacts 19 and 20 on the bottomside 44 of the battery pack 10. Likewise, on the rear or backside of thebattery pack 10, the top protrusion 13 captivates the positive andnegative supply contacts 28 and 26, respectively, within the top rearprotrusion 13 disposed on the housing portion or battery cover 22.

Each of the pair of bottom protrusions 36 hooks into each of theapertures 64, in the corresponding end of the radio housing 32 toprovide pivotal support. Similarly, the top rear protrusion 13 extendsinto the cavity 66, in the corresponding top portion of the radiohousing 32, to provide proper alignment and to reduce tolerance stack-upduring attachment. When the lower end of the battery is inserted intothe radio, the battery pack 10 hooks or pivots at one end as the lowerprotrusions 36 are engaged by the apertures 64. Preferably, theprotrusions 36 do not extend out of the apertures 64 but recessed withinthem. Then, the protrusion 13 in the battery cover is pivoted intoproper alignment by being lowered towards the radio housing until theprotrusion 13 aligns into place. Thus, the protrusion 13 and cavity 66,mated at the opposite portion, complete the alignment process, startedwhen the battery and radio were pivotally attached at the other end.Dual pivotal supports are used to balance the alignment better. However,it is possible to implement the invention with only one pivotal supportin accordance with the invention.

The protrusions 36 and 13 preferably carry cylindrical conductivecontacts. These contacts are force-fitted into molded through-holes 1 12 and 114 of the battery housing 16 to integrally form the positive andnegative charger contacts 21 and 18, charger sense contacts 19 and 20,and positive and negative battery supply contacts 28 and 26 in thehousing.

Referring to FIG. 3, one end of the cylindrical contacts provide thepositive and negative supply contact surfaces to match andelectronically couple to the radio supply contacts. Within the batteryhousing 16, the other end of the cylindrical contacts 18-21 are reflowedonto a flexible circuit 80. For simplicity, only the flexible circuitry80, including the dashed negative path, coupled to the positive 84 andnegative 82 terminals of a cell or a series of cells 71-76 and to thepositive and negative charger (21 and 18) and battery supply contacts(28 and 26) is shown.

Note that isolated supply contacts and isolated charger contacts do notexist because they have been incorporated into the protrusions 13 and36, thus providing savings in tooling and parts in the manufacture ofthis battery for portable products. Contact captivated protrusions 13and 36 serve as the mechanical mating means and the electronic couplingmeans of the battery to one or more electronic product. In one case, theelectronic product is a portable two-way radio. Contact captivatedprotrusion 13 mechanical mates and aligns and electronically couples thebattery to the radio.

In another case, the electronic product is a charger. Contact captivatedprotrusions 36 mechanically mates and aligns the battery cover 22 to thebattery housing 16 and electronically couples the battery to thecharger. The apertures 64 enable access to the battery electronicsthrough the retaining area 44 of the battery housing. This efficientintegration of the retention feature and charger contact achieves asmaller radio foot-print because fewer parts are used. The contactwithin the protrusion further reinforces and strengthens the protrusion.Charger and sense contacts 18-21, normally seen on the backside of thebattery housing are now only visible on the bottom of the radio, tocreate a flush undisturbed look on the back of the battery housing.Furthermore, the cylindrical contacts are protected from damage becausethey are surrounded both by the plastic battery housing and the plasticradio housing when the battery is attached to the radio.

What is claimed is:
 1. A battery for attachment to and powering of aradio, the battery comprising:at least one cell; a housing containingsaid at least one cell; mating means, located on the housing, forselectively attaching the battery and the radio, the mating meansincluding a pair of protrusions selectively receivable by the radio; andcharging contacts located on at least one of the protrusions.
 2. Thebattery of claim 1, wherein the charging contacts comprises:a positivecharging contact and a negative charging contact located on oneprotrusion of the pair; and a pair of sensing contacts located on theother protrusion of the pair.
 3. The battery of claim 1, wherein themating means includes a latch.
 4. A radio having an integratedmechanical and electrical mating system, comprising:a battery having atleast one cell having a terminal; a housing for housing the battery;conductive protrusion means formed on the housing for electricallycoupling the battery to a charger; and protrusion receiving means on theradio for receiving the conductive protrusion means, for mechanicallycoupling the battery to the radio, and for electrically coupling thebattery to the charger.
 5. The radio of claim 4, wherein the conductiveprotrusion means formed on said housing comprises molded-in circuitrycoupled to the terminal.